HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/16/10 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 16, 2010
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-
2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
AIRPORT FIRE STATION RIBBON-CUTTING
TH
CITY RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FOR 27 CONSECUTIVE YEAR
NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON WILLAKENZIE ROAD READY TO PROCEED
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE EUGENE SOLAR AND GREEN HOMES TOUR
SUMMER IN THE CITY DOWNTOWN: IT’S A WRAP
BANNED BOOKS READ-OUT AND TALK AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
MONEY MATTERS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FLOCK TO RECREATION’S FREE SUMMER EVENTS
AROUND THE CITY
Airport Fire Station Ribbon-Cutting
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Aircraft Rescue
and Fire Fighting (ARFF) station was held today at the
Eugene Airport.
The $3.84 million project was finished on time and
under budget. The project was funded through Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) entitlement and
discretionary funds with a five percent Airport Fund
match of about $192,000.
The new ARFF station, which was constructed to
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) ® Silver certification standards, will replace the
outdated and undersized Fire Station 12 building. The
new 11,600 square-foot building features four ARFF
vehicle bays, specialized equipment storage,
conference space, and living quarters for four firefighters.
Relocating the station on the north end of the airfield will enable fire personnel to access either runway under the
required FAA response time. The old Station 12 building was the only remaining fire station operated by the City of
Eugene that lacked separate quarters for both male and female firefighters.
The project was a joint effort between staff from the Eugene Airport, Eugene Fire & EMS Department (EFD), City of
Eugene Facilities and Information Services divisions, RS&H, a facility and infrastructure consulting firm, and PIVOT
Architecture, a Eugene design firm. RS&H has extensive experience in planning airport fire stations. PIVOT
designed several of the new EFD stations.
For more information, contact Eugene Airport Director of Communication and Development Cathryn Stephens at
541-682-5430.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
September 16, 2010
th
City Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 27 Consecutive Year
The City of Eugene has once again been awarded the Government Finance Officers Association's (GFOA)
Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY10 proposed budget document. Out of more than 1,100
participants in the program, Eugene is one of only five jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada to receive this award for
27 consecutive years since the program's inception in 1984.
The GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Program is designed to encourage state and local
governments to prepare and issue budget documents of the highest quality. Documents submitted to the Budget
Award Program are reviewed by selected members of the GFOA professional staff and by outside reviewers with
experience in public sector budgeting. High quality budget documents are essential in ensuring that citizens,
elected officials, and other stakeholders, become fully engaged and informed participants in the budget process.
Better budget documents contribute to better decision making and enhanced accountability and transparency of
local government finances.
City of Eugene finance staff continue their efforts in streamlining and simplifying the City’s budget document to
make it more user-friendly to the citizens and other parties with an interest in the City’s finances. Visit the GFOA
web site for more information about the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Program, and the City of
Eugene web site for more information about the City’s budget. For more information, contact Central Services
Director Kristie Hammitt at Kristie.A.Hammitt@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5524.
New Affordable Housing Development on Willakenzie Road Ready to Proceed
Metropolitan Affordable Housing Corporation (Metro) has received low-income housing tax credits and other state
funds necessary to proceed with the development of Willakenzie Crossing. Willakenzie Crossing will provide
affordable, new rental housing to people earning below 60 percent of the
area median income. The City of Eugene selected Metro to develop
Willakenzie Crossing on a landbank site through a competitive request
for proposals process in 2009. The City of Eugene has committed land,
federal HOME funds, and Eugene systems development charge waivers
to support the project. The site for Willakenzie Crossing is located on
Willakenzie Road just east of Coburg Road, next to the historic
Willakenzie Grange Hall. Willakenzie Crossing includes 56 units
serving families, individuals, seniors, and persons with developmental
disabilities. It also includes a large community center, garden plot,
children’s play area and ample bike parking. Construction will begin in
spring 2011 and will be completed in 2012.
For more information, contact Becky L. Wheeler, Planning and Development Department, at 541-682-5532 or
becky.l.wheeler@ci.eugene.or.us.
Save the Date for the Eugene Solar and Green Homes Tour
As part of the largest grassroots solar event, Eugene’s annual Solar and Green Homes
Tour offers an opportunity to visit nine local homes, both new construction and remodels,
that showcase the latest in energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building
techniques. Participants can speak with designers, builders, contractors and homeowners
to learn first-hand about strategies to lower their utility bills and live more sustainably. This
year’s tour, co-sponsored by the City of Eugene and the Eugene Water & Electric Board
(EWEB), will feature super energy efficient homes, solar energy systems, ductless heat
pumps, rain water harvesting, a green roof, sustainable landscaping and other exciting green building approaches.
Workshops on solar hot water and ductless heat pump installations will also be available.
This event is part of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Tour, where more than 160,000
participants will visit innovative buildings in 3,200 communities across the U.S. The tour will be held on Sunday,
October 3. Participants will meet at EWEB at 10:30 a.m. for welcoming remarks by ASES Past Chair John
Reynolds, Mayor Kitty Piercy and EWEB General Manager Roger Gray. Instructions and tour guides will be
provided at this time, and self-guided tours will be held from noon until 4 p.m.
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September 16, 2010
For more information and to preview tour sites, visit www.eugene-or.gov/tour. Pre-registration for this popular
event is strongly encouraged at eugenesolartour@eweb.org. To volunteer for the tour or for more
information, contact Jenna Garmon at jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us. For more about other tours across
Oregon, visit http://solaroregon.org/workshops-and-education/tours/oregon-green-and-solar-tours-2010.
Summer in the City Downtown: It’s a Wrap
The Summer in the City – Downtown series which included a movie, live concerts, a skateboard demonstration,
circus acts, participatory art, dance lessons, a fashion show, live theatre and a game of dodge ball, may have
seemed like a lot of fun and games, but it also accomplished some serious goals set by the City Council, Cultural
Policy Review and the Community Events Program.
The free events spanning nine weeks advanced the City
Council’s goals of a city with accessible and thriving culture
and recreation, and a community where all people are safe,
valued and welcome.
They also aimed to satisfy two goals of the Cultural Policy
Review: to build participation in, and audiences for arts and
culture in Eugene; and to integrate arts and culture into the
fabric of downtown Eugene and other neighborhoods as part
of a comprehensive strategy of revitalization.
Beyond those overarching goals, the Community Events
Program set specific goals for each event: to bring positive
activity downtown, have a positive impact for downtown businesses, increase residents’ connectivity to the
downtown, and be safe.
By the following, most events succeeded:
Number of activities/attractions: in the nine event days, a total of 40 activities/attractions were offered (the
goal was 13).
Involving community organizations: no specific number was set as a goal, but 55 community groups and
25 City of Eugene departments participated in the nine event days.
Audience participation: the goal was to increase the 2009 attendance of 2,615 by 25 percent; this year
4,110 attended, an increase of 57 percent.
Goal to reach 50 percent of the targeted audiences at each event: each of the nine event days was
specifically programmed to bring a certain age and demographic to downtown Eugene. This minimum goal
of 50 percent was met or exceeded at seven of the nine events.
Safety and security: the general feeling was that having an event footprint fenced, and suggesting a
donation of one can of food, or $1 per adult, had a major impact by making the atmosphere feel safer as
compared to last year. This effort raised $3,852, plus 1,429 cans of food for the Relief Nursery.
Volunteer help: the nine downtown events were made possible with 173 hours of volunteer help, primarily
at the four entrance gates. In addition, the volunteer coordinator, Amber Hampton, an intern from the
University of Oregon, volunteered her services - a total of 180 hours.
The Community Events program also programmed 15 Summer in the City - Live Music events (formerly called
Summer Concerts in the Parks). These events attracted 6,140 people. By comparison, the 18 live music events
presented in 2009 were attended by 5,945 people.
For more information, contact Billie Moser, 541-682-6347.
Banned Books Read-Out and Talk at Eugene Public Library
Join the Eugene Public Library in celebrating free speech during Banned Books Week. Start the week on
Saturday, September 25, noon to 2:00 p.m., by dropping in at the Downtown Library’s Rotunda for a Banned
Books Read-Out, co-sponsored by the Lane County Chapter of the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oregon, and Springfield Public Library. Hear
community members reading aloud passages from books that have been
challenged or banned, borrow a targeted book, and get a free “I Read Banned
Books” pin. (Springfield Public Library will close the week with a Banned Books
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September 16, 2010
Read-Out on Saturday, October 2, from 2 – 4 p.m.)
The Eugene Public Library is also honored to host a free talk by Garrett Epps, titled “Dangerous Reading: What
Does the Constitution Really Say?” on Saturday, October 2, at 2 p.m., at the Downtown Library. Books will be
available for purchase and signing courtesy of the University of Oregon (UO) Bookstore/Duck Store.
Epps is nationally acclaimed for bringing legal issues to life, pairing a vibrant wit with illustrative stories, clear
explanations, and sharp analysis. He is best known locally for his tenure as a professor at the UO Law School and
Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics. His books include “Peyote vs. the State: Religious Freedom on Trial,”
the Oregon Book Award winner “Democracy Reborn: The 14th Amendment and the Fight for Equal Rights in Post-
Civil War America,” and two novels. He is currently working on a book exploring the surprising questions and
concepts that arise from a fresh reading of the U.S. Constitution as an integrated whole.
Formerly a staff writer at The Washington Post, Epps is widely published, including in The New York Times, The
New Republic, and The New York Review of Books. He regularly writes commentary for TheAtlantic.com. Epps lives
in Washington, D.C., where he is a professor of law at the University of Baltimore.
For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Money Matters at Eugene Public Library
Learn how to get help with utility bills this winter at Energy Assistance Programs for Seniors, a free presentation at
the Downtown Library on Tuesday, September 21, at 1 p.m. Rayna Luvert will share information about eligibility
and benefits for local programs offering funds ranging from $200 to $350, including Eugene Water & Electric
Board (EWEB) Customer Care (water and electric); Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (electric, gas,
and oil); the Gas Assistance Program, and Oregon Low-Income Gas Assistance. Luvert is the Energy Assistance
Coordinator at the Campbell Center.
Students and parents, alone or together, are invited to a free workshop on Applying for College and Financial Aid
on Saturday, September 25, at 3 p.m. at the Downtown Library. This session will provide expert tips on completing
a successful college application, writing entrance essays, filling out financial aid forms, and more. Attendees will get
the practical advice of professionals from the University of Oregon offices of Admissions, and Student Financial Aid
and Scholarships. They will also learn about online resources available free through the Eugene Public Library,
including LearningExpress (practice tests and guidance), Foundation Directory Online (scholarships from more
than 77,000 sources), and Oregon Career Information System (information about schools and financial aid
throughout the U.S.).
For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Children and Families Flock to Recreation’s Free Summer Events
Nearly 16,000 children attended Recreation’s free, Fun for All summer playground program this year. The program
operated at 12 neighborhood parks, and, at seven of those sites, included a free lunch provided by Food for Lane
County. Additionally, a record 3,500 people attended Recreation’s free We Are Bethel Celebration in May, and
hundreds attended the Whitaker Neighborhood River Festival in July. Dozens more attended other free Recreation
events such as Touch a Truck, Starting Block Track and Field events, S-U-M-M-E-R Bingo, Shakespeare in the
Park and family fun nights.
Free fall family fun nights got underway at Petersen Barn on First Friday, September 5, with more of these popular
events on tap every first Friday through December - at Petersen Barn September 17 and December 17; Sheldon
Community Center and Pool, September 24 and October 22, and November 19 at the Amazon Center. For more
information, contact Kathy Madison at 541-682-6342.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
September 16, 2010